Emergency Commons debate after Lib Dem MP John Hemming “intimidated” by...
The BBC reports: Commons Speaker John Bercow has granted MPs an emergency debate after one Member claimed he had been “intimidated” by a firm of solicitors. Liberal Democrat John Hemming, who...
View ArticleMPs rally to Hemming’s cause over “intimidating” solicitor’s letter
LDV reported on Wednesday that Lib Dem MP for birmingham Yardley John Hemming had been granted an emergency Commons motion to debate what he termed an “intimidating” email received from a firm of...
View ArticleLib Dem MPs split on Euro referendum?
Almost two years ago, in the early weeks of Nick Clegg’s leadership, the Lib Dem parliamentary party managed to tie itself in knots over the question of whether to support a referendum on the Lisbon...
View ArticleLibLink: John Hemming – How the IFS got it wrong in calling the budget...
Over at The Guardian’s Comment is Free website, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley John Hemming argues that the Institute for Fiscal Studies made a number of mistakes in its analysis of the Coalition’s...
View ArticleJason Kitcat: update on the councillor facing censure for using YouTube
A quick update on my post about Brighton Green councillor Jason Kitcat, who is facing disciplinary action over putting footage of a council meeting up on YouTube. He’s posted the latest news over on...
View ArticleHemming in the headlines
The London Evening Standard reports: The wife of an MP was today charged with burgling the home of her husband’s ex-lover and stealing a kitten. Christine Hemming, wife of John Hemming, the Liberal...
View ArticleParliamentarians in the news
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries says her blog was ’70% fiction’ – The Guardian. Surely the weirdest successful defence against expense allegations we’ll see. Two Labour and one cross-bench peer have...
View ArticleLibLink: John Hemming – Scrap tuition fees? Yes we have
Over at The Guardian’s Comment is Free website, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley John Hemming has penned a robust defence of the Coalition’s plans for higher education funding in England, taking as...
View ArticleFred Goodwin gets super-injunction that even stops him being called a banker
The Independent reports: Sir Fred Goodwin, the former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland who became a focal point for anger over the financial crisis, has obtained a super-injunction banning...
View ArticleOpinion: Are hyper-injunctions compatible with the Human Rights Act?
“Justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.” That famous aphorism is commonly quoted, though perhaps not in the courts that hand down hyper-injunctions...
View ArticleWas Lib Dem MP John Hemming right to name Ryan Giggs as superinjunction...
The media can now, openly and legitimately, report the name of the Premiership footballer alleged to have had an affair with a former reality show contestant. That the name ‘Ryan Giggs’ is public is...
View ArticleNick Clegg’s speech to the Liberal Democrats conference rally
Welcome to Birmingham, a city with a great, outspoken liberal tradition. The home of Joe Chamberlain, where Gladstone called for Home Rule in one of the most rousing speeches of his life, and where...
View ArticleAnd in other news…
Lib Dem leader of Gosport Council, Peter Chegwyn has been assaulted by one of his predecessors as Liberal Democrat leader, since turned independent, Dave Smith. The financial sector has accounted for...
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LDV Caption Competition | John Hemming “you’ll have had your tea” Edition
There’s no prize at stake – just the opportunity to prove you’re wittier than any other LDV reader… (Hat-tip to international development action group Tea Time for Change.) Here’s Lib Dem MP for...
View ArticleLibLink: “John Hemming is definitely a cat man”
John Hemming, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley, is an unabashed iconoclast. The Independent this week sought to understand what makes him tick a little better. Inevitably there is some focus on his...
View ArticleIn other news… Teather on pupil premium, State of play for Welsh Lib Dems &...
Here’s a round-up of stories we haven’t had time to cover on the site this past few days… Teather: Pupil premium ‘changing the way schools think’ (BBC) The Liberal Democrat MP and minister at the...
View ArticleIn other news… Nick talks Dutch, Farron’s footie boycott, Hemming’s...
Here’s a round-up of stories we haven’t had time to cover on the site this past few days… Nick Clegg insists on speaking Dutch at Cabinet Office meeting (Telegraph) Nick Clegg, who speaks five...
View ArticleIn other news… Hemming “resignation threat”, Rogerson on second home tax,...
MP John Hemming’s fury over ‘cover-ups’ (Daily Express) A LIB Dem MP threatened to resign the party whip last night and sit as an independent unless child protection was treated “more seriously”. John...
View ArticleOpinion: One last chance to achieve far-reaching libel reform
The Defamation Bill is nearly law. Several key reforms needed to protect free debate are already included in the Bill, thanks to the tireless work of the Libel Reform Campaign (declaration: I have...
View ArticleEDMwatch #1: animals, VAT on tabloids, Diabetes and Sir Alex Ferguson
I thought it might be a good idea to introduce a new feature for the start of the shiny new parliamentary session – a regular look at the Early Day Motions tabled by MPs. These are basically House of...
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